Letter: Tunnel collapse fears a cash grab?

"Mayors fear 'catastrophic' Hanford tunnel collapse.” (TCH, 8/10/18)

Is this a new attempt to extort the Feds for more taxpayer money for inept Hanford work? Perhaps what the mayors should equally fear is the chaotic, uncontrolled, possibly irresponsible, self-serving, local population growth they, the commissioners and TRIDEC have encouraged.

Inadequate roads, inadequate public facilities, Flint Stone/era traffic control systems (in Richland) and a lack of facilities for wastes, recycle/hazardous materials also pose threats to public safety.

The commissioner's refusal to budget money to replace the 2010 burned-out hazardous material disposal facility represents a significant future threat to ground water purity. Air contaminated with O-3 PM-10, PM-2.5 now threatens non-attainment status for the counties.

All of these shortcomings represent an equally clear and present danger to the locals just as does a potential tunnel collapse. And guess who is going to pay for the infrastructure upgrades to accommodate the chaotic growth brought about by our beloved politicians who have long favored greed, money and materialism regardless of the costs to society and a quality environment.